Armageddon Expo 2011: John Rhys-Davies & Colin Cunningham

For the first time the Armageddon Expo headed to Adelaide, Australia bringing with them some big names and Killer Film was there to bring you all the excitement! A great time was had, the guests were fantastic and they took some time out to have a chat with Killer Film over the weekend.

Interview with John Rhys-Davies

Marcella Papandrea: Hello John, thanks for taking the time out to talk to Killer Film today. Welcome back to Australia!

John Rhys-Davies: Thank you it’s lovely being back in Australia, people here in Adelaide are very lovely and pleasant. They are easy people to get along with I find.

MP: Are you looking forward to the event?

JRD: Very much so, the reason I do these events is that I get to meet my audience, the audience that has well been paying the bills for the last forty years. When you’re out on stage you know who the audience is, the further you get away from live performance to television and then to film itself you have a different audience. It is important for actors to know the face of that audience. To see what appeals to people, this appeals to my younger audience and that appeals to my old audience. To see how smart these people are, and gosh I didn’t realize the effect I was having on people. It is often very humbling. It can be very critical (laughs) but often it is very cheery.

MP: I hope we all have fun tomorrow!

JRD: Oh yes, we will! This is a show for people who like these mediums, a chance for them to dress up, a day for the family to go out. A chance to meet all sorts of people, there is the lovely Karen Allen and Lance Henriksen, I think it’s divine.

MP: With your extensive career, do you have any personal favorite films or characters that you have played?

JRD: Well, it’s the most successful ones, they are the darlings that you create, and you become rather proud of them. I rather love Gimli, I think he’s a great character. I think Sallah from Raiders of the Lost Ark is perhaps like a cultural litmus of the time where one could have like a funny or loyal Arab sidekick. And I think the times have changed, with the American perception of that being possible. I think that is really why he wasn’t in Indiana Jones 4.

It’s very interesting because you know, there are cultural shifts that you can kind of mark on the film calendar. Like there was a time where the Brits became the bad guys, and then the South Africans became the bad guys and then they ceased to be the bad guys. You know, we always look for villains don’t we?

MP: Oh yes, they always change with the world’s current events.

JRD: It does in a way, it can be juvenile to me, but sometimes it acts as a market.

MP: It gets the audiences in the seats.

JRD: Yes that’s right my dear. But uh yes the real answer to that original question is well ‘What is my favorite part or film?’ the next one (laughs). You know you have to presume there is a next one. Some day there wont be you see, but it is all a part of life and it keeps things interesting.

MP: Well, hey, you’ll be leaving behind a very memorable legacy.

JRD: (Laughs) Why thank you. I’ll tell you what though I’ve had an awful lot of fun. I’ve had good fortune and good fellowships. I suppose one is reaching a point in ones life’s when one starts to look back and I’ve had a blast. And if this all ends tomorrow, if my career comes to a shattering end I really have no complaints. The boobs (mistakes) that were made, were made by me and I take full responsibility for them. The successes were often greatly helped by the generosity and kindness of a lot of people, for which I take full responsibility (laughs). It’s been a blast! And I don’t think it’s quite over yet.

MP: With that said, what was it like to do a James Bond film?

JRD: I have the fondest memories of it, fabulous! I love the Bond films, I’ve always seen every one of them in the theater as they come out. I’ve enjoyed all of them. I still think that Connery is the finest of them all, but that could be old prejudice You know all of us old enough to have seen Connery, probably do think he was the definitive one in a way. But there have been many fine Bonds, and I think the new guy is terrific. Absolutely terrific. But then there’s my friend Pierce Brosnan who I thought was an honorable Bond. He really worked hard at selling the franchise, you know he did a lot of work. I thought he was very honorable at that, he did well.

MP: Do you have any upcoming projects you are able to tell us about?

JRD: There are about three films I’ll possibly be doing this year, I really don’t want to talk about them because it is an area I am superstitious about (laughs). You start to talk about it and then it disappears. We are in times of such economic uncertainty that you know backers can’t see months down the road. So you know how it is, but there is one thing I am looking forward to this year is promoting a documentary series I did last year.

MP: Fantastic!

JRD: Oh yes, it’s on the King James Bible, it marks the 400^th anniversary of the King James Bible. You know it had such a huge influence on the English language, the American Constitution, on the way you and I speak now. It is not only the best drama documentary that I’ve ever been in but I think it is the best one I’ve ever seen. Even if you took me out of it I still think it would have been the best drama documentary I’ve ever seen. Absolutely riveting, fascinating and so informative. What it took to make this book at the time, there is so much history that surrounds it. You know this got produced and it got largely ignored in its lifetime and it then slowly began to work its magic over those decades and centuries past. It’s wonderful.

MP: Sounds fantastic, I look forward to it.

JRD: Oh yes please do see it when you can, it is called the King James Version. Brilliantly done by a marvelous Scottish based filmmaker, and he has just used every resource that he could. He wrote a brilliant script and raised money to make it, it is just magical. It is an hour spent in a realm of excitement and pleasure. Just wonderful.

MP: Thank you so much for your time John, appreciate it very much.

JRD: My pleasure madam, it was wonderful speaking with you.

John Rhys-Davies was certainly a fan favorite at the Armageddon Convention, he took the time to meet and chat with every fan that approached him. He is a lovely person, and one of the many reasons why this Convention is so fantastic and successful. I’d like to thank John for coming out to Australia with his family and spending time with us all and making the event amazing.

Interview with Colin Cunningham

Marcella Papandrea: Hello Colin, thanks for coming to have a chat with Killer Film.

Colin Cunningham: You’re welcome.

MP: So how has your day been here at Armageddon?

CC: Fantastic, I’m having a great day. I went out and had a couple of Aussie beers last night, that was lovely. Now I’ve shown up here, ready to go and enjoy the show, celebrate the day!

MP: That sounds awesome, how have the Adelaide people been treating you?

CC: Now that’s a riveting question! (Laughs) No it’s been great, people here are great, thank you.

MP: So Colin, can you tell us a little about the project you have up and coming this year?

CC: Yes, well Steven Spielberg has a new show coming out called Falling Skies. It’s got Noah Wyle, Moon Bloodgood and some other wonderful actors including myself. We’re really looking forward to it, it’s premiere’s in June. It’s basically like a War of the Worlds type TV show.

MP: Very, very nice.

CC: Yes, I am really looking forward to that coming out. So, yes June on TNT.

MP: I hope it comes out here in Australia this year too.

CC: Oh, I am sure it will.

MP: Is that the only upcoming project you have currently?

CC: Yes, well you know when it’s Spielberg, it is a pretty big deal (laughs). The one I’m most proud of yeah.

MP: If that’s the one you’re most proud of, what else have you done that comes close to it?

CC: Well you know working on Stargate was a lot of fun yeah, you know everything I’ve done has been a lot of fun. I’d have to back track through my resume to really get down to it.

MP: Nothing comes to mind right away?

CC: Well it’s the next one that’s the one to be proud of (laughs).

MP: Gotta love that answer.

CC: Yeah I know, but it’s true. You’re really proud and grateful for what you get.

MP: Always looking forward?

CC: Yeah exactly. Having fun while doing it too.

MP: Anything you’ve done that maybe you aren’t so proud of?

CC: (Laughs) Luckily those moments are few and far between. You know I’ve worked with a lot of great people, there are rough days but for the most part even a bad day on set is better than the best day of doing telephone sales which is what I used to do.

MP: As did I.

CC: See you know exactly what I’m talking about. And of course it’s a good thing.

MP: That’s pretty awesome, I am so glad to hear it, I like your attitude!

CC: Thank you so much. (Lance Henriksen approaches) Oh, look there’s Lance! Hey man!

Lance Henriksen: Hey guys, I was going out to sign but there’s no one there. It’s lunch time though, everyone’s gone to eat.

MP: Speaking of lunch Colin, I’ll let you go and grab some of that.

CC: Thank you so much, it was a pleasure to chat to you and remember Falling Skies. Falling Skies. Falling Skies!

I’d like to thank Colin for being a part of Armageddon and taking the time out for a chat. He made the Expo so much fun and it was a real pleasure to hang out with him.